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I hope to call them this afternoon if I get a minute to make a phone call (I'm a teacher). FWIW Hagerty did not balk my claim at all and I'm pretty sure I told them I was ultimately heading to work, although I was actually on the way to a tire/wheel shop maybe that fact saved me?. Heck when I do take the Midget to work I always go WAY out of the way through the country roads to make it worth it, more fun, and safer, so am I commuting or joy riding? Summer job is 8 miles from home too and nowhere near my main job so maybe if they looked it up they saw the accident far from my job site and therefore didn't question it. I don't know but I'll sure ask point blank questions like that when I get a chance, I have all the Hagerty paperwork.....somewhere......Good insurance denied is no insurance at all.
 
I think it is all how you handle the claim...

Such as, "No I was off that day, & I just stopped by the office to meet a buddy for lunch..." :devilgrin:

OR "No, I just ran home at lunch, & decided to take the car out for a quick spin & get an oil change..." :wink:

Insurance is one of those things that you pay for but hope you never need to use.

-Bear- :cheers:
 
I just got off the phone with them. Didn't get a real straight answer to be honest with you. I don't know. You're right, something you don't want to have to use but having had 3 accidents in three years (two complete totals, one not, one wipe out on an iced bridge on a highway (mini van) one complete wreck (the Opel) that was other driver error completely and one rear bumper/trunk destruction while the car was parked in a lot (no the loser didn't leave any info) I'm very insurance concious and yes, my premiums are way up and two of these things were competely out of my control and the ice on the bridge is hardly my mistake either (8 cars found the ditch and guard rail while I was on the shoulder).
I'll check my paper work. She told me the claim would be paid but they may not re-up the policy or something. Classic car insurance is cheap but if they don't pay the claim you may as well have just had liability on it.
 
I agree with you that cheap insurance that doesn't pay is not really cheap. In fact, it is pretty much worthless.

You'll sleep better knowing that you are covered for your normal driving habits. So maybe paying a few extra $$ for normal coverage is worthwhile for you.

I'm lucky in that I typically work from my home, and on the rare occasion that I need to visit a client's site or go to a company meeting or conference I usually have a rental car.
So for me the Hagerty limitations are pretty minimal.

Honestly, I think insurance companies in general are crooks! They are your best friend as long as you pay your premiums on time & never file a claim. But once you actually USE the policy they either raise your rates or cancel your policy. With friends like that....

UNFORTUNATELY insurance IS a necessary evil of our modern society. BUT I do hate to think of how many thousands of dollars I have spent on insurance in my lifetime. That said, I DO sleep well at night...

HOPEFULLY you have already fulfilled your accident quota, & you'll never need to file another claim again!!

Cheers! :cheers:
-Bear-
 
All you have to do is <span style="font-style: italic">read your policy</span>. Don't put yourself in a position of having to rely on others for this absolutely crucial information. You can do it, problem is, some folks don't even try: this is a big (and potentially costly) mistake.

We need to understand our coverage, it's very important. The language that deals with driving restrictions (if any) are normally found in "terms and conditions".

It's all written in plain english, or at least plain enough for <span style="text-decoration: underline">ANYONE</span> here to decipher.

<span style="font-weight: bold">It may take 15 minutes or less </span>to read the relevant parts of the policy. You don't have to read it all, just the parts that promulgate driving restrictions. Ask your agent or insurer where the relevant policy language is located, this will make the task easier still.

With stuff this important, I'd rather not rely on others. In this case, it's easy. Just ask! :thumbsup:
 
Well, it's probably not fair to call all insurance companies actually crooks. My house a regular drivers have been insured by Farmers for years. An old highschool friend was an agent. I probably paid a bit more than I could have but they have always been more than fair. No accidents but, living in Oklahoma, we have had a few pretty big hail damage claims. When it came to the hobby cars though they didn't offer much of a price break. As I recall, premium for the Beetle was about $600/year. With Hagerty, both the Beetle and Prefect are about $60 each. Being retired, I don't have to worry about driving either to work. I still do some consulting but for those occasional drives, the Explorer is all right.

Anyway, as vagt6 said, read the policy.
 
Got a note from Grundy:
"Thank you for submitting your information to Grundy Worldwide’s underwriting department. Unfortunately, we are unable to insure vehicles that are used for errands, backup or work. We wish you the best in finding the appropriate coverage for this vehicle."

Good straight answer.
I'll to find the Hagerty info and look it over. Could be I'll have to decide to either drive it like I want to, and insure it as a regular car, or curtail my driving and go with the least restrictive policy (which sounds like Hagerty to me). Now I wonder if one has Hagerty or some other and drives outside the parameters of the agreement, will that negate your liability coverage. It's one thing to decide to risk your car, another entirely to risk everything you own on a lawsuit.
 
My Hagety policy lapsed. Ran it through their website, came back at $147. Called them. Yep that's right. So I went with them. The "no driving to work" rule is unresolved, but I'll operate under the premise that I commute with risk, when I do.
 
One thing I like about Grundy over Haggerty is just that - Grundy is straight up with you; Haggerty kinda, sorta answers the question but leaves it up to interpretation until a claim is filed.
 
I use state farm, there are mileage limits on the car, not for daily commuting etc, but about $60 every six months isn't bad, haven't had a claim with them on the collector cars. The pumpkin kind of creaps me out too, but Tony seems like a nice guy.
 
glemon said:
The pumpkin kind of creaps me out too, but Tony seems like a nice guy.
Click to expand...


What pumpkin? Nobody knows for sure,,, but legend says, that's what he really looks like....
 
scoutll said:
glemon said:
The pumpkin kind of creaps me out too, but Tony seems like a nice guy.
Click to expand...


What pumpkin? Nobody knows for sure,,, but legend says, that's what he really looks like....
Click to expand...

you mean he's the Stig?
 
What a tool I feel like after reading everyone's comments. I have always had Sate Farm for all my cars / motorcycles over the years so when I purchased my midget I just got a price and started the policy. Now here is where all of you laugh at me: I pay $68 per month. I have only checked into Hagerty's web page and used their "free quote" and it came back $145 for 6 months. Now Im sure that will change a bit as I drive my car to work and possibly disqualify me. Im getting bent over by State Farm and It never crossed my mind to check into other insurance. A big thank-you to the forum as so I can find better priced insurance as I should be able to save a few dollars.
 
I read through the Hagerty policy and basically it can't be a regular driver. Not as tight as to say "only car shows and club functions" nor as loose "drive anywhere anytime for any reason". A claim might be denied depending on circumstances I guess. I had a claim with Hagerty last year and they treated me very well. I was on the way to a tire/wheel shop which may have saved me, from there to work though. I'm registered historic too so that makes it cheaper I guess.
 
JPSmit said:
scoutll said:
glemon said:
The pumpkin kind of creaps me out too, but Tony seems like a nice guy.
Click to expand...


What pumpkin? Nobody knows for sure,,, but legend says, that's what he really looks like....
Click to expand...

you mean he's the Stig?
Click to expand...
MMMMMMMMWAAAAA-HAA!

Only the Stig's brother would know!
 
It's helpful to note that if an insurer's policy language indicates that it's not designed to cover everyday use, commuting, etc., with your antique car, then coverage may be denied if you have an accident in one of those situations. Specialty policies that provide coverage for antique vehicles often contain such language.

You do NOT want to find this out the hard way in an adverse liability suit. Also, coverage may be denied by ANY insurer if we've made a "material misrepresentation" about our intended use of the car in the policy application (this is a law in all 50 states).

Don't play games with your insurance coverage, it's simply not worth the risk. Purchase the the right coverage for your antique vehicle(i.e., agreed value or stated amount); disclose <span style="font-style: italic">everything</span> truthfully to your agent/insurer, and drive with confidence (and, with <span style="text-decoration: underline">coverage</span>).

From and old insurance man who's seen it all . . . :yesnod:
 
I wonder if it's okay to post the Hagerty policy here? If so, I'll put up the pertinent parts as I read them.
 
I would think that it should be fine to post the policy here. They have nothing to hide and remember: "Any publicity is good publicity" (or something like that)
Bill
 
alright, I'll try to remember to do that.
I'd think a high percentage of toy cars rarely get driven, therefore very low risk for the insurance company (ergo the relatively cheap insurance).
I'm sure they've researched it to death.
 
Just to expand a bit on what Mark said above, if you have an accident on the way to work, it's not just your cqar that isn't covered. Your liability will not be good either. You injure someone or total a new Mercedes and you'r just hung out there. Also, that would mean you are effectively driving without insurance. In most if not all states, that is illegal.
 
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